Availability of batteries: PX-625s (silver oxide)?

runswithsizzers · Aug 9, 2022

Does anyone know where I can find PX-625 / S625PX / P-13 size silver oxide batteries in stock and available for sale?

tl:dr
My Konica Autoreflex T4 is presently with Greg Weber for a CLA and meter modification/calibration so I can use modern batteries (no mercury).

After he recalibrates the meter, the camera meter should be accurate with 1.55 volt batteries. The PX-625 / P-13 size is the best fit for my camera without adapters, and I prefer the silver oxide chemistry. However, after an extensive search, I cannot find any supplier of silver oxide batteries in this size. Websites which normally sell them are out of stock, and several sites say this battery has been discontinued.

I am aware of other options to power the meter in this camera, but I am wondering if 625 silver oxide batteries are still an option, or are they gone forever?

mshchem · Aug 9, 2022

I use a Energizer 387s in my old Pentax SP500. Not sure if this is what you need. Fits mine, comes with a plastic ring fitted to the cell, no need for o-rings etc. Good hunting! Mike

MattKing · Aug 9, 2022

Ask Greg Weber about whether he is also modifying the battery compartment to allow use of a common battery size such as SR44/357/MS76 batteries.

MattKing · Aug 9, 2022

mshchem said:
I use a Energizer 387s in my old Pentax SP500. Not sure if this is what you need. Fits mine, comes with a plastic ring fitted to the cell, no need for o-rings etc. Good hunting! Mike

Kodachromeguy said:
Wrong size! He wrote he needs the PX 625 size.

mschem has a plastic ring installed in the battery compartment which allows use of the smaller battery size.
There are some cameras that require the ring/adapter to be made of something conductive, like brass.

reddesert · Aug 9, 2022

You can buy a metal adapter that fits an SR44 battery and is the outer shape of a PX625 battery. It's like the "MR-9" adapter but it doesn't have the voltage reducing diode, and is cheaper. I have a couple - they appear to be brass - and I think they're sold on ebay. In the long term you may need this as PX625 silver will only become harder to find.

Sometimes a device that took PX625 can be made to hold SR44 batteries with an o-ring or similar spacer, but it depends on the battery compartment and location of the battery contacts.

runswithsizzers · Aug 9, 2022

MattKing said:
Ask Greg Weber about whether he is also modifying the battery compartment to allow use of a common battery size such as SR44/357/MS76 batteries.

I don't know for sure exactly what Greg Weber does to modify the battery circuit, but I am certain he does not modify the battery chamber.

His recommendation for what batteries to use after his modifications is the S625PX (silver oxide). He says the alkaline versions are 'not that much of a problem' in the modified cameras. But there are many sources who say the alkaline batteries decrease in voltage over their lifespan which makes them unsuitable for camera meters which need constant voltage, so ... I don't know...?

I do have a pair of the brass adapters <link> which allow me to use SR44 / 357 silver oxide batteries. I shot 2 or 3 rolls using the adapeted batteries after "calibrating" the camera's meter by adjusting the ASA setting until the camera reading from a gray card matched the incident reading from my handheld meter. That actually worked pretty good, using b&w negative film.

But the question remains, are S625PX (silver oxide) batteries available, or not?

BobD · Aug 9, 2022

Since the demise of mercury batteries, I've never seen PX625 batteries offered in any chemistry but alkaline.

You can get an adapter (or just make one) and use the smaller S76 silver oxide cells (same size as LR44 cells).

mshchem · Aug 9, 2022

MattKing said:
mschem has a plastic ring installed in the battery compartment which allows use of the smaller battery size.
There are some cameras that require the ring/adapter to be made of something conductive, like brass.

Not quite. Energizer is making a cell with a plastic ring to center the cell.

mshchem · Aug 9, 2022

reddesert said:
You can buy a metal adapter that fits an SR44 battery and is the outer shape of a PX625 battery. It's like the "MR-9" adapter but it doesn't have the voltage reducing diode, and is cheaper. I have a couple - they appear to be brass - and I think they're sold on ebay. In the long term you may need this as PX625 silver will only become harder to find.

Sometimes a device that took PX625 can be made to hold SR44 batteries with an o-ring or similar spacer, but it depends on the battery compartment and location of the battery contacts.

Yes, now I remember, little brass rings that I had to send away (UK ??) for.

MattKing · Aug 9, 2022

runswithsizzers said:
His recommendation for what batteries to use after his modifications is the S625PX (silver oxide).

Greg Weber may be unaware of their current unavailability.

runswithsizzers · Aug 9, 2022

MattKing said:
Greg Weber may be unaware of their current unavailability.

I think that may be true. I emailed him about it yesterday. If it turns out that S625PX (silver oxide) batteries have been discontinued - then I will be interested to see if he changes his recommendation to PX625 (alkaline) - or to SR44/357 (silver oxide) batteries in adapters.

BradS · Aug 9, 2022

I just did a search on Amazon.com for "625 battery" and they appear to be readily available at reasonable prices.

The Lowe's store down in Sonora even has the 625 type from Energizer (at an outrageous price).

MattKing · Aug 9, 2022

BradS said:
I just did a search on Amazon.com for "625 battery" and they appear to be readily available at reasonable prices.

The Lowe's store down in Sonora even has the 625 type from Energizer (at an outrageous price).

But are they silver oxide? All my Amazon searches just yield the alkaline versions.

runswithsizzers · Aug 9, 2022

BradS said:
I just did a search on Amazon.com for "625 battery" and they appear to be readily available at reasonable prices.

The Lowe's store down in Sonora even has the 625 type from Energizer (at an outrageous price).

MattKing said:
But are they silver oxide? All my Amazon searches just yield the alkaline versions.

What he said. At least, that is true of the US Amazon site.

BradS · Aug 9, 2022

MattKing said:
But are they silver oxide? All my Amazon searches just yield the alkaline versions.

runswithsizzers said:
What he said. At least, that is true of the US Amazon site.

...I leave that as an exercise for the interested reader. I loath Amazon's search facility. I'll note however that it does return the little metal adapter thingy (DAG sells them too) that adapts a standard EPX76 to a 625 cavity.

I'll bet that a quick visit to the major manufacturers' (energizer, duracell, ever-ready, etc...) websites might also shed light on the question of availability.

Finally, I'm very sure that an alkaline cell will work as well as the silver oxide. Just need to keep an eye on it and replace it when it starts to bulge...or better yet, before.

MattKing · Aug 9, 2022

BradS said:
Finally, I'm very sure that an alkaline cell will work as well as the silver oxide.

Depends on whether or not the Konica's circuits are voltage dependent. Most are, meaning that alkaline cells aren't very suitable.

Kodachromeguy · Aug 9, 2022

BradS said:
Finally, I'm very sure that an alkaline cell will work as well as the silver oxide. Just need to keep an eye on it and replace it when it starts to bulge...or better yet, before.

No. Not for that camera. The original light meter circuit depended on the mercury battery as a 1.35 voltage constant, so the replacement needs to be a cell like the silver ones with a reasonably stable voltage until close to exhaustion. How will an alkaline cell serve this function? Alkaline voltage decreases as it is used.

Amazon warning: beware of counterfeit batteries.

StanMac · Aug 9, 2022

runswithsizzers said:
Does anyone know where I can find PX-625 / S625PX / P-13 size silver oxide batteries in stock and available for sale?

tl:dr
My Konica Autoreflex T4 is presently with Greg Weber for a CLA and meter modification/calibration so I can use modern batteries (no mercury).

After he recalibrates the meter, the camera meter should be accurate with 1.55 volt batteries. The PX-625 / P-13 size is the best fit for my camera without adapters, and I prefer the silver oxide chemistry. However, after an extensive search, I cannot find any supplier of silver oxide batteries in this size. Websites which normally sell them are out of stock, and several sites say this battery has been discontinued.

I am aware of other options to power the meter in this camera, but I am wondering if 625 silver oxide batteries are still an option, or are they gone forever?

Exell Battery S625PX NEDA 1124MP Silver oxide 1.55V - Exell Battery

www.exellbattery.com

The cell shown in the pic doesn’t look that much like a 625 cell, but it might be worth an inquiry. I have purchased the small brass holder for the 357 cells to use in my vintage rangefinders.

stan

takilmaboxer · Aug 10, 2022

I modified my old Gossen light meter myself, installed a diode, and viola! it now reads the same as a modern meter! Pre-made adapters that do the same would be a worthy investment IMHO.

Tomro · Aug 11, 2022

takilmaboxer said:
I modified my old Gossen light meter myself, installed a diode, and viola! it now reads the same as a modern meter! Pre-made adapters that do the same would be a worthy investment IMHO.

I too got an old Gossen (lunasix 3), so maybe you could point me into the right direction to where and how to install the diode

dynachrome · Aug 11, 2022

If you use size adapters in a camera converted to 1.5 volts you might want to use 386 batteries rather than MS76 so the battery cover will screw down all the way.

runswithsizzers · Aug 11, 2022

dynachrome said:
If you use size adapters in a camera converted to 1.5 volts you might want to use 386 batteries rather than MS76 so the battery cover will screw down all the way.

There are different combinations of adapters and cameras, but with the adapters I use, shown <here>, the SR44 / 357 / MS76 size batteries work very well. My Konica Autoreflex T4 is designed to use two PX-625 / PX-13 batteries which together should measure 12 mm tall. When I stack two 357 batteries in their adaptors, I measure 12mm.

John Koehrer · Aug 12, 2022

I believe a #9 O ring adapts the smaller cell to fir the 13/625 battery compartment.

CMoore · Aug 13, 2022

Kodachromeguy said:
No. Not for that camera. The original light meter circuit depended on the mercury battery as a 1.35 voltage constant, so the replacement needs to be a cell like the silver ones with a reasonably stable voltage until close to exhaustion. How will an alkaline cell serve this function? Alkaline voltage decreases as it is used.

Amazon warning: beware of counterfeit batteries.

GOOD Grief............the times we live in.

Just read about the arrest of a team of catalytic converter thieves.
Depending on which "crew" were arrested, they were caught with several hundred to Several Thousand converters..!!! ..............waiting to be sold for their "rare metals"
A massive problem in the usa.

runswithsizzers · Aug 19, 2022

The Excell battery manufacturer has not replied to my email sent on 8/10/22. One online retail seller that lists Excell Px625 silver oxide batteries on their website has replied:
"Sorry, these batteries are on long term back order and we have no re-stock date"

I would be happy to be proven wrong, but I am starting to believe the 625 / P13 size battery has been discontinued in the silver oxide chemistry. Fortunately, there are other options to adapt other sizes of silver oxide batteries to fit in my Konica Autoreflex T4 as previously discussed in this thread.

Availability of batteries: PX-625s (silver oxide)?

runswithsizzers

mshchem

MattKing

Moderator

MattKing

Moderator

reddesert

runswithsizzers

BobD

mshchem

mshchem

MattKing

Moderator

runswithsizzers

BradS

MattKing

Moderator

runswithsizzers

BradS

MattKing

Moderator

Kodachromeguy

StanMac

Exell Battery S625PX NEDA 1124MP Silver oxide 1.55V - Exell Battery

takilmaboxer

Tomro

dynachrome

runswithsizzers

John Koehrer

CMoore

runswithsizzers

Availability of batteries: PX-625s (silver oxide)?

Moderator

Moderator

Moderator

Moderator

Moderator

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency